They are worried that his decisions could seriously affect the outcome of the matchFrench outlet Le Parisien have voiced strong concerns over UEFA’s choice of referee for the highly anticipated Champions League quarter-final second leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday night.
The referee appointed is Italian Maurizio Mariani. While the 44-year-old has experience (17 Champions League matches, including 6 this season), they highlight that he is coming off a difficult campaign and question whether he is the right man for such a high-stakes game.
Full breakdown of reasons making French media unhappy about Mariani’s appointment
Mariani was provisionally relegated to Serie B at the start of this season after a major error during a Napoli vs Inter Milan match in October. He awarded a controversial penalty to Napoli that drew heavy criticism from Inter and Italian refereeing chiefs.
He has a previous history with PSG, having refereed their 1-2 defeat to Bayern Munich earlier this season, where he sent off Luis Díaz.
In the first leg at the Parc des Princes, PSG felt aggrieved by two penalty decisions that were not given in their favour. Although the Parisians stayed fair-play after the match, those incidents have left lingering frustration.
Despite the controversies, Mariani was recently selected for the 2026 World Cup, showing he still has the trust of UEFA. He will be assisted by fellow Italians, with Marco Di Bello on VAR.
With PSG holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, Tuesday’s clash at Anfield is set to be intense. Many in France believe the referee must be flawless to avoid any repeat of the controversy from the first leg.
The appointment has already sparked debate — and the pressure will be firmly on Maurizio Mariani to deliver a clean performance at Anfield.